'An insult' - Aston Villa Jhon Duran transfer plot rejected amid 'secret talks'
A top European side is "crazy" about Aston Villa's Jhon Duran, reportedly holding secret talks with the player's agent with a view to a transfer "as early as January" - but Birmingham Live readers in our comments section say that the money on offer is nowhere near good enough.
Italian side Napoli, who are 2nd in Serie A so far this season, are the latest side to be linked to the 21-year-old Colombian after Aston Villa spent the summer knocking back bids from English clubs. Villa have been rewarded for resisting the interests of other clubs with 11 goals in 24 games in the Premier League and Champions League so far.
Italian journalist and Napoli expert Ciro Venerato has discussed Napoli’s interest in Duran on Televomero’s Terzo Tempo Calcio Napoli, saying the club’s owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, director Giovanni Manna and manager Antonio Conte are all “crazy” about the player.
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He said: “There is a player that De Laurentiis, Manna and Conte are crazy about, he is Jhon Durán from Aston Villa, he costs €40m. Napoli have already had two talks with the player’s agent and will soon have a conference with the English club shortly."
Fans say that Napoli will be sorely disappointed if they think they can nab Duran for that kind of money. Reader Crichy says: “If he wants to go, fair enough. 80 million I'd be asking at least, they are crazy to say 40 million for a player of his age and potential. It's an absolute insult.”
Commenter Thorpyuk writes: “€40m? Is that the deposit, with the remaining €110m payable by instalments?” Jambob says: “They’re quoting 40m euros, which equates to 33m pounds. For that they can get one of his legs. They can’t afford him.”
Chosen in 1957 writes: “Napoli! £40 million! Well, it is the pantomime season. I would prefer to believe that the return of Jack 'and the beanstalk' Grealish is much more believable.” Mac78 agrees: “£40m was the fee when we rejected West Ham and Chelsea, it's gone way above that now. UTV.”
Crazycat1 wants the club to start building around the young Colombian: ”Duran has not said that he wants to go anywhere. We should be looking at getting players that can give him service, he could get 25/30 Premier League goals a season.”
Villaman doesn't want to entertain a sale either: “Well at the rate that Watkins is not scoring, we would be really silly to sell our only consistent goalscorer!”
Italian journalist Ciro Venerato said: “He is a profile that has been evaluated and already promoted by the whole of Calcio Napoli. We need to understand the availability of Aston Villa and the agreement on the evaluation. We also need to understand if Napoli, in order to beat the competition, can take him as early as January and leave him in England until June or whether to make an operation that contemplates the summer market.”
